Ernest William Smith:

An Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Humanities
Research Center

These papers consist
primarily of manuscripts, notes, photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia
that reflect the career of the British journalist. The majority of the
manuscripts suggest the possibility of the preparation of a second
autobiography, tentatively entitled 'From Newsboy to War Correspondent: An
Anecdotal Retrospect of Fifty Years of Newspaper Life.' Also present are
materials Smith collected from his travels, related especially to his interests
in political movements and military history.

RLIN record #:

TXRC94-A22

Extent:

2 boxes, 1 oversize folder
(.82 linear feet)

Language:

English.

Repository:

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center,
University of Texas at Austin

Ernest William Smith, journalist and special correspondent, was born in
1864 on the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Great Britain. Except for a few anecdotes
from his autobiography,
Fields of Adventure (1923), very little is
known of his early life or family history. As a youth he became a junior
reporter on the
Isle of Wight Chronicle and the
Portsmouth Times where he, among other
duties, reported on the lives and activities of the British Royal Family. In
1886 Smith went to Paris as a foreign correspondent for the
Pall Mall Gazette as well as several other
London papers.

Smith joined the
Daily News in the 1890s and became assistant
to Mrs. Emily Crawford, the paper's Paris correspondent, from 1897 to 1899.
During this time, Smith also became associated with the origins of the literary
magazine,
Revues des Revues (1890-1919), which was
superseded in 1919 by
La Revue modiale (1919-1936). Through his
journalistic and editorial efforts, Smith corresponded with and met some of the
most prominent European literary and dramatic figures of the day, including
Sarah Bernhardt, Anatole France, Lord Kitchner, Lord Roberts, Cecil and Frank
Rhodes, Victorien Sardou, G. W. Steevens, Oscar Wilde, Emile Zola, and
others.

In the early 1890s, Smith traveled to Russia to report on the widespread
famine and relief efforts. During these travels he became acquainted with Leo
Tolstoy and his daughters. In 1891 Smith published a French translation of
Tolstoy's
Khodite v svete, which was entitled
Marchez pendant que vous avez la lumiére: Récit du
temps des premiers chrétiens. After returning to Paris, he continued
to report on the volatile political situation in France, especially the
infamous trial of Alfred Dreyfus, 1894-1895. At this time he also edited and
translated into English the autobiography of Henri Rochefort,
Adventures of my Life (1896).

Leaving the
Daily News in 1900, Smith was engaged by the
Morning Leader and the
Star as a special correspondent to report on
the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa. Smith acted as both writer and
photographer since the innovations of Ernest Parke (editor of both papers),
mandated that all reporters carry cameras. Smith was able to file reports from
the siege of Ladysmith and to take photographs of the troops and battle sites
during the winter of 1899-1900. Smith was awarded, as a result of his capture,
detainment, and personal "eye witness" reports of
the Boer War, a medal from Queen Victoria inscribed "Defender of Ladysmith".

Smith acted as war correspondent for the duration of World War I, and
also covered the Greek Revolution of 1916. He was especially interested in the
initial use of aviation during the war, as well as the introduction of other
turn of the century modern inventions such as the telephone and film. In
1930-31 British International Pictures engaged Smith as an advisor for the film
Dreyfus (1931). Smith also wrote a series of
stories for boys which was published in
Chums magazine. Smith continued to write
occasional articles for both newspapers and radio until his death in 1935.

The Ernest Smith Papers, 1870-1976 (bulk 1890-1935), consist primarily
of manuscripts, notes, photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia that
reflect his career as a journalist. The majority of the manuscripts suggest the
possibility of the preparation of a second autobiography, tentatively entitled
'From Newsboy to War Correspondent: An Anecdotal Retrospect of Fifty Years of
Newspaper Life.' Also present are materials Smith collected from his travels,
related especially to his interests in political movements and military
history. There are also newspaper clippings collected by Ernest Smith and his
son Arthur Smith. The papers are arranged in four series: Works, 1916-1930, nd;
Correspondence, 1870-1931, nd; Personal, 1894-1935; and Smith Family,
1939-1976.

The Works series contains manuscripts and related materials possibly
gathered together for Smith's second autobiography, `From Newsboy to War
Correspondent: An Anecdotal Retrospect of Fifty Years of Newspaper Life.' These
materials consist of drafts in both typescript and holograph versions, along
with miscellaneous draft fragments, research notes, and/or outlines. These have
been arranged to conform to an outline of the autobiography found among these
papers (Folder 1.1). Also found here are several manuscripts and published
versions of Smith's journalistic writings (1916-1930). While these also may
have been intended as reference material for the new autobiography, their
relationship to the other manuscripts is less clear. These articles and press
releases are arranged alphabetically, and also are often accompanied by
miscellaneous notes and research materials.

The small but unique correspondence, 1879-1931, is alphabetically
arranged and consists primarily of correspondence relating to Smith's editorial
duties on the
Revues des Revues and as a special
correspondent. Also found here is outgoing correspondence by Smith that
includes a first day issue postcard of the "First United
Kingdom Aerial Post, 1911." Significant correspondents include Sarah
Bernhardt, Maxime Ducamp, Alexandre Dumas (fils), Kamel al-Husseini (Grand
Mufti of Jerusalem), Henrik Ibsen, Maurice Maeterlinck, Helmut Graf von Moltke,
Emile Ollivier, Ouida (Maria Louise Ramé), Henri Rochefort, Tatiana
Sukhotina-Tolstaia, Alexandra Tolstoy, Leo Tolstoy, and Jules Verne, among
others.

The Personal series, 1894-1935, comprises materials related to Smith's
works and travels as a journalist. Found here is memorabilia of the Boer War
(1899-1902), which includes two manuscripts by J. Stuart (1900), and printed
flyers, as well as a broadside of song lyrics by Rudyard Kipling (ca. 1900).
Photographs found here include those taken by Smith in the field during the
siege of Ladysmith and other campaigns of the Boer War. Also present are the
souvenir booklet and photographic stills for the 1931 British International
Pictures film,
Dreyfus for which Smith was an advisor.
Original materials from the Dreyfus trial era are also found here including a
circular entitled
"Testament Officel d'Emile Zola." Included in
this series are several early socialist/anarchist leaflets (translated into
Russian, French and Italian) and Greek revolutionary newspapers (1916). This
series also includes textbooks as well as other school papers in essay form of
unknown date, origin, and authorship.

The last series, Smith Family, 1939-1976, consists of material collected
by Arthur W. Smith, son of Ernest W. Smith, and includes correspondence,
newspaper clippings and miscellaneous notes. These materials focus on exhibits
of the Smith Papers, as well as their potential sale to the HRC and other
institutions. In this series are also found two works of fiction of unknown
date, origin, and authorship. A note found in the miscellaneous materials here
suggest that these manuscripts were written by Arthur Smith's brother, who was
killed while working for the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in Persia.

'What I believe to be the Truth of the Dreyfus Case,'
typescript with corrections,
nd; 'The Story of the Case in Brief,' typescript
with corrections,
nd; 'An Epilogue,' typescript with corrections;
untitled typescript with incomplete carbon copy,
nd [The Dreyfus Case]